Today, we’re thrilled to be sharing with you the cover reveal for Mary G. Thompson’s upcoming novella ONE LEVEL DOWN.

Before we check out the cover and hear from Mary, let’s check out the official blurb:

Trapped in a child’s body, a resourceful woman risks death by deletion from a simulated world. With her debut novella for adults, Mary G. Thompson (Wuftoom) has crafted a taut, ultimately hopeful story that deftly explores identity and autonomy.

“It is impossible to look away from Mary G. Thompson’s provocative story of simulations, power imbalance, and whether kindness can overcome cruelty in the end.”
—Carolyn Ives Gilman, author of Dark Orbit

Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her “Daddy” has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous.

Ella’s very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her.

But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot make the technician help her, the only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.

Cover artist/design: Elizabeth Story  @tachyonpub

Here’s what Mary had to say:

I love how the cover captures Ella’s unique situation! She’s living in a simulated universe, and even though she’s 58 years old, she’s forced to look and act like a child. Despite her situation, the planet is beautiful. It’s not the universe that’s the problem, it’s the person who runs it. Computer chips, the beauty of the universe, and the woman whose life matters more than any of it—the cover reflects the potential of those who choose to escape their constraints. I hope people enjoy Ella’s story!

One Level Down is due for release 1st April 2025 from Tachyon Publications. You can find out more and pre-order on their website.

Mary G. Thompson is the author of Wuftoom, which Booklist called “impressively unappetizing and absolutely unique.”

Her contemporary thriller Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee was a winner of the Westchester Fiction Award and a finalist for the Missouri Gateway Award. Thompson’s short fiction has appeared in Dark Matter Magazine, Apex Magazine, and others.

She attended the University of Oregon School of Law, practiced law for seven years, and now works as a law librarian. She also holds an MFA in writing from The New School. Thompson currently lives in Washington, DC.

Find her on the web at http://marygthompson.com.